Rotman dean Roger Martin to step down one year early

In a public statement issued by the school, the 56-year-old, now in his third term as dean, said his decision to leave the dean’s office was motivated by the school’s positive growth in the recent past and the school’s strong position to “make a meaningful contribution to democratic capitalism.”

Mr. Martin has often been a figure of controversy among capitalist purists who see the academic’s view on excessive executive compensation as being contrary to the principles of market economics.

Previously a consultant with multinational firm Monitor, Mr. Martin joined the University of Toronto as dean in 1998 where he began implementing a number of key initiatives, including the development of part-time MBA alternatives in the form of early-morning classes.

In addition to his role at Rotman, Mr. Martin wrote numerous articles for the Harvard Business Review and authored seven books.

No specific reason was given for his decision to prematurely leave his post. However, in his public statement, Mr. Martin alluded to additional work that he would like to do.

“There is a lot of work that I would like to do and it is time for my next phase. I am excited about going to the [Martin Prosperity Institute] and working with the people there to make it a leading institution working on shaping the future of democratic capitalism,” said Mr. Martin. “That particular agenda needs a lot more work, and I look forward to getting on with it. I also look forward to working with the Interim Dean, when appointed, on making the transition.”

Even after his departure from the dean’s office, Mr. Martin will continue to hold a leadership position at the Martin Prosperity Institute. In addition, he sits on the Boards of Thomson Reuters Corporation, Research in Motion, The Skoll Foundation, and the Canadian Credit Management Foundation. He is also the chair of Tennis Canada and chair of the Ontario Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress.